Claim esa after universal credit claim ended?

Hello all,

I’d like to check on some information local job centre has just given me please. (Live UC area, going full in June 2018)

Client had UC claim suspended in January 2017 for failure to attend job centre. He was sanctioned and then never contacted DWP again….until we tried to start an esa claim some months later.

Many phone calls later we were told that if we supply back dated fitnotes then the UC claim can be unsuspended and esa claim can be processed within UC. This did not work.

Now I am being told that client actually no longer has a UC claim as it is more than 6 months since the suspension and that we should now make a claim for legacy esa or claim UC again should esa say they cannot take a new claim because of previous UC claim.

Does this job centre advice sound reasonable?

Client is now in hospital so I’d really appreciate being able to avoid putting him through yet another round of non resolving phone calls.

Thanks!

lee

Have a look at the post code checker to see what the rules are for UC in his area? Sometimes people with disabilities are excluded from making a UC claim. All permutations are possible.

Why do the JCP suggest making an ESA claim through UC?

Is he perhaps entitled to cb-ESA or new-style ESA (based on NI contributions over the past two tax years)?

If he has the contributions and is allowed to claim UC, he can claim new-style ESA. I can’t tell you definitely how to do this because everyone seems to get a different answer.

I think there is a specific number to ring UC and ask for ns-ESA and they send you a claim form without making you go through a UC claim first.

If he is unable to work (with or without the contributions) and he is not allowed to claim UC he can just make a standard ESA claim.

Thank you for your help Sally. Really not looking forward to full on UC next year. Lee